The Coronavirus - a virus from eating bats, an accident or something sinister gone wrong?

[swordfish]

[Muda69]

School district closes schools, charges students $140 per week to attend 'learning centers'

https://justthenews.com/politics-policy/education/school-district-closes-schools-charges-students-140-week-attend-learning

Quote

Shortly after announcing that the fall semester would begin online, the board of education of the Durham, North Carolina public school department said it will charge families $140 per week to send their children to "learning centers" at various local schools. 

The school board, which last month said it planned to activate its "Plan C" and start school in the fall with virtual learning, this week "authorized the opening of six learning centers to provide support for students who need supervision" while schools remain online, according to the school district's website.

DPS Superintendent Pascal Mubenga stated that there are "many families in Durham who need additional support during the school day." The learning center initiative is specifically "part of a broader community initiative to support working families and families with increased economic hardships," the district's website stated. 

The learning centers will "provide a safe space to complete online learning, meals and snacks, and social-emotional activities," the district said. Students will be "assigned to small pods with daily wellness screenings, distribution and required use of facemasks, and planned circulation and seating of six feet social distancing."

Families will be charged a "regular rate" of $140 per week to send their children to the centers. Families with employees of the school system will get a reduced rate of $105 per week, while low-income students will be charged $70 per week. A $35 signup charge will also be collected from most families. 

"Learning centers" will be operated for both elementary and middle school students, officials said. 

Numerous school districts across the country have announced their intent to continue with distance-learning programs at least through the start of the semester and possibly for the duration of it, citing concerns that schools could become hotspots for COVID-19 transmission. 

Many experts have claimed that, according to epidemiological data, children are unlikely to contract COVID-19, fall gravely ill from it, and/or spread it to other children or adults. 

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Robert Redfield said last month that the child mortality rate for the disease is "one-in-a-million." Presidential medical advisor Scott Atlas, meanwhile, said this week that the danger that coronavirus presents to children is "even less than that of seasonal flu." 

 

[swordfish]

Yeah but......

[swordfish]

https://hannity.com/media-room/mixed-message-protesters-gather-in-person-to-claim-voting-in-person-too-dangerous-during-pandemic/?fbclid=IwAR01P8ogvSlRGpRIh0js2coZTlZw4Jr-m12Zr44hj91STRHjEukAVRvn3HM

Far-left protesters gathered in large crowds this week demanding mail-in voting across the country; ironically holding massive demonstrations in person while claiming in-person voting is too dangerous during the pandemic.

 

 

Far-left squad-member Ayanna Pressley escalated her war-of-words with the White House over the weekend; calling for “unrest in the streets” as anti-police protests continue to take-over sections of Portland, Seattle, and other major American cities.

“This is as much about public outcry, organizing and mobilizing and applying pressure,” Pressley said, “so that this GOP-led Senate and these governors that continue to carry water for this administration, putting American people in harm’s way, turning a deaf ear to the needs of our families and our communities – hold them accountable.

“Make the phone calls, send the emails, show up,” she continued. “You know, there needs to be unrest in the streets for as long as there’s unrest in our lives.”

 

"Hey - let's protest in large numbers because it's too dangerous to vote in person......"  SMH.....LOL......

 

[swordfish]

I would suggest they just lost their argument.....

[DanteEstonia]

50 minutes ago, swordfish said:

I would suggest they just lost their argument.....

You realize Utah exclusively votes by mail?

[swordfish]

9 minutes ago, DanteEstonia said:

You realize Utah exclusively votes by mail?

FIFY.....

BTW - you obviously missed the point of the meme.......

[swordfish]

So the Minnesota Governor okays using this drug now.........

https://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2020/08/17/mn_governor_quietly_reverses_course_on_hydroxychloroquine__143978.html

MN Governor Quietly Reverses Course on Hydroxychloroquine

COMMENTARY

 

.

 

 

By Jon Miltimore

August 17, 2020

 

This past week Minnesota became the second state to reject regulations that effectively ban the controversial drug hydroxychloroquine for use by COVID-19 patients.

The decision, which comes two weeks after the Ohio Board of Pharmacy reversed an effective ban of its own, was rightfully praised by local health care advocates.  “We are pleased that Governor [Tim] Walz lifted his March 27 Executive Order 20-23 restrictions on chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine,” said Twila Brase, president of Citizens’ Council for Health Freedom.

The reversal by Walz, a first-term Democrat, clears the way for doctors to prescribe hydroxychloroquine, a drug commonly used to treat malaria and other conditions but one the FDA has declined to recommend for COVID-19 treatment.

The decision is the latest development in the weird saga of arguably the most divisive drug in modern history. The acrimony began in March after President Trump tweeted that hydroxychloroquine had the potential to be “one of the biggest game changers in the history of medicine” as a treatment for the coronavirus. 

The tweet and similar statements provoked an avalanche of media criticism, with many claiming that the president was going to get people killed. Critics pointed out that medical evidence suggests the medication is linked to a fatal arrhythmia and some trials show no benefits in coronavirus treatments.

 

Though his critics are likely loath to admit it, there’s reason to believe the president may have been on to something. In recent weeks a chorus of voices in the medical community has emerged to challenge the view that hydroxychloroquine is ineffective as a COVID treatment. Dr. Harvey A. Risch, a professor of epidemiology at the Yale School of Public Health, said a full analysis of the literature suggests hydroxychloroquine may be the key to defeating the coronavirus.

“Physicians who have been using these medications in the face of widespread skepticism have been truly heroic,” Risch wrote in Newsweek, adding that a full review of the COVID literature on the drug shows “clear-cut and significant benefits.”

Prescribing hydroxychloroquine in the early stages of the virus is key, Risch said, and others agree. Steven Hatfill, a veteran virologist and adjunct assistant professor at the George Washington University Medical Center, says the literature supporting hydroxychloroquine is overwhelming.

“There are now 53 studies that show positive results of hydroxychloroquine in COVID infections,” Hatfill wrote in RealClearPolitics. “There are 14 global studies that show neutral or negative results -- and 10 of them were of patients in very late stages of COVID-19, where no antiviral drug can be expected to have much effect.”

 

One of the positive studies, published by Henry Ford Health System, was a large-scale retrospective of six hospitals. Analyzing 2,541 patients, it found that those treated with hydroxychloroquine alone died at about half the rate of patients not treated with it.

It’s unclear if it was this research that prompted Walz to reverse his March ruling, which ordered the Board of Pharmacists to instruct pharmacists to not issue hydroxychloroquine prescriptions unless the diagnosis was “appropriate” -- which halted any off-label prescription requests. 

The reason it’s unclear is that Walz has been mum on why he rescinded his order. There’s been no announcement or new stories. Local lawmakers told me they had no idea Walz had reversed course.

“There’s been absolutely no transparency here,” said Dr. Scott Jensen, a Republican state senator who criticized Walz’s approach. Jensen, who has practiced medicine for more than 30 years in Minnesota, told me pharmacists he’s worked with for years told him they could not fill a hydroxychloroquine prescription for COVID because of the March executive order.

He agrees that hydroxychloroquine is terribly misunderstood by the public and said politicians need to take a step back. “Hydroxychloroquine is one of the most studied drugs in the history of mankind,” Jensen said. “My wife was on hydroxychloroquine for 15 years. It’s been on the World Health Organization’s list of essential medicines for decades. It’s been in play since 1955, the year after I was born.”

Hydroxychloroquine might be politically controversial, but that hasn’t stopped some of its critics from taking advantage of the drug. In a May interview, former presidential hopeful Sen. Amy Klobuchar admitted her husband was successfully treated with hydroxychloroquine, a medication she had mocked on Twitter.

The politics of hydroxychloroquine are unlikely to cool before November’s presidential election.  Yet, if Walz’s decision is any indication, at least some leaders are starting to recognize the ethical dilemma of using the long arm of government to stand between suffering patients and a drug that may have the potential to save them.

But that group of doctors in white coats on the steps of SCOTUS were a group of idiots not to be trusted.......Remember......

[Muda69]

The 'Highest Single-Day of COVID-19 Deaths' That Wasn't

https://reason.com/2020/08/17/the-highest-single-day-of-covid-19-deaths-that-wasnt/

Quote

Under the best of circumstances, reporting on COVID-19 is tough. There are simply too many unknowns, and even when officials aren't manipulating the truth they aren't always willing to cop to the fact that they really don't have solid answers.

But there's really no excuse for journalism as sloppy and misleading as the August 13 ABC News segment whose headline blared "US reports highest single-day of COVID-19 deaths." This video was widely shared, appearing not just on the main ABC News site, but also on Good Morning America, MSN.com, and elsewhere. And it simply wasn't true.

In it, the anchor solemnly intones that the "United States is reporting the highest number of deaths in a single day—nearly 1,500" while a graphic briefly but completely undercuts her point. The graphic at least points out an important qualifier: The 1,490 deaths represent the deadliest day "since mid-May." In fact, according to The New York Times' count, the seven-day rolling average number of deaths in April was double what the current numbers are. If you look at the graphic, you can see that peak deaths plainly occurred months ago. But such attention to such an enormously important detail goes completely missing in the ABC segment, and a less-than-attentive viewer could be forgiven for thinking that the country was in fact experiencing record-setting COVID-19 deaths right now.

A similarly misleading story came courtesy of Bloomberg yesteday, which tweeted this clickbait morsel: "JUST IN: Malaysia detects new coronavirus strain that's 10 times more infectious." The story itself was originally titled "Malaysia Detects Coronavirus Strain That's 10 Times More Infectious."

The headline has since been changed to the less incendiary, "Southeast Asia Detects Mutated Virus Strain Sweeping the World," possibly because the article never supported those fearful claims. If you read the piece, you'd learn that the strain being discussed actually "is the predominant variant in Europe and the U.S." and that "there's no evidence from the epidemiology that the mutation is considerably more infectious than other strains," according to an epidemiologist cited in the story. There is a suggestion that it "is said to have a higher possibility of transmission or infectiousness," but there is in fact no evidence that the strain is either new or particularly bad.

The COVID-19 story is a tough one, with new information emerging all the time. But the media, never infallible in the first place, seem increasingly prone to running stories that are not even internally consistent but instead are a hodgepodge of anxiety and apocalypticism. Under such circumstances, it's more important than ever to develop razor-sharp media-literacy and bullshit-detection skills. Whether or not a coronavirus vaccine ever arrives, but can at least inoculate ourselves against the more obvious failures of the Fourth Estate.

I make my living off the evening news
Just give me something-something I can use
People love it when you lose,
They love dirty laundry

Well, I coulda been an actor, but I wound up here
I just have to look good, I don't have to be clear
Come and whisper in my ear
Give us dirty laundry

Kick 'em when they're up
Kick 'em when they're down
Kick 'em when they're up
Kick 'em when they're down
Kick 'em when they're up
Kick 'em when they're down
Kick 'em when they're up
Kick 'em all around

We got the bubble-headed-bleach-blond
Who comes on at five
She can tell you 'bout the plane crash with a gleam in her eye
It's interesting when people die
Give us dirty laundry

Can we film the operation?
Is the head dead yet?
You know, the boys in the newsroom got a running bet
Get the…

[Howe]

The FDA receives one third of their funding from pharmaceutical manufacturers. The FDA is a corrupt bureaucracy.

[Muda69]

School Reopenings Linked to Union Influence and Politics, Not Safety

https://reason.com/2020/08/19/school-reopenings-linked-to-union-influence-and-politics-not-safety/

Quote

School closures have affected over 55 million K–12 students in the U.S. since March as the nation deals with the coronavirus pandemic. Although numerous private schools and day care centers have adjusted to the pandemic and reopened, many public school districts and teachers unions are fighting to remain closed in the name of safety. In fact, 85 percent of the country's 20 largest public school districts have already announced that they will not be reopening schools for any in-person instruction as the school year begins.

Some have noted these reopening decisions often appear to be driven by politics rather than public health. Unfortunately, many teachers groups are contributing to this appearance. In their report on safely reopening schools, for example, the Los Angeles' teachers union went beyond detailing the safety needs of teachers and students, also calling for politicians to enact a wealth tax, Medicare for All, and a ban on charter schools. 

Similarly, 10 teachers unions across the country joined a coalition that included the Democratic Socialists of America to "Demand Safe Schools." But rather than focus on student and teacher safety, they demanded a ban on new charter schools and voucher programs as well as the cancellation of rents and mortgages. 

When a reporter asked Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser if trends in the city's COVID-19 cases justified the all-virtual start to the school year, Bowser responded, "No. I wouldn't say the attention to the health metrics is the only thing that's leading to our decision today" and that "clearly we want to work with our workforce."

New data suggest these anecdotes—and the underlying theory that reopening has more to do with power dynamics than safety—have some merit.

Education Week recently compiled data on the reopening decisions made by 563 school districts in the U.S. The data indicate a stark relationship between school district reopening plans and whether the school district is located in a state that requires union membership as a condition of employment as a teacher. Right now, school districts in states that require union membership are 25 percentage points less likely to plan to reopen with full-time in-person instruction available than school districts in right-to-work states. About 38 percent of school districts in right-to-work states have decided to offer full-time in-person instruction, whereas only around 13 percent of school districts in states that require union membership are offering the same.

The data also suggest that districts in states with stronger teachers unions—as measured by the Thomas B. Fordham Institute, a conservative think tank, in 2012—are significantly less likely to reopen in person this fall. In Florida, for example, the largest school districts in the state's biggest cities are only offering remote learning to start the year but, statewide, 73 percent of the school districts in the dataset are reopening full-time with in-person instruction this fall. Meanwhile, just 4 percent of districts across California, a state with much stronger teachers unions, are offering in-person instruction. 

Although these results are correlational, they make sense. Teachers unions with more power are in better positions to influence school districts not to reopen in person.

In theory, school districts in unionized states could be more likely to go fully online this fall simply because they might be in areas with more COVID-19 cases and risk. But the data generally do not support that theory. The relationship between unionization and reopening decisions remains substantively and statistically significant even after controlling for school district size and coronavirus deaths and cases per capita in the county during the month of July.

Jon Valant, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, also recently found, COVID-19 risk was not statistically related to school district reopening decisions. Valant's analysis found school district reopening decisions are instead related to people's political leanings and support for President Donald Trump. The latest data show that a 10 percentage point increase in the share of Trump voters from the 2016 presidential election in a county is associated with an 11 percentage point increase in the likelihood of a school district reopening in person this fall. Likewise, the less support Trump had in an area, the less likely that school district is to offer in-person learning right now.

Like so many other things in this highly polarized moment, school reopening decisions are likely being influenced by factors other than the safety of students, families, and teachers. To be clear, this doesn't mean teachers unions have bad intentions. Their leaders are often just trying to do their jobs by pushing for policies that benefit their members, particularly older teachers who could be at higher risk for COVID-19 complications. 

But this debate is highlighting the problems with our school finance model. Public school districts are funded primarily through property taxes, regardless of whether they meet the needs of students and families, so schools have little incentive to focus on students. 

 

[DanteEstonia]

On 8/18/2020 at 10:05 AM, Muda69 said:

The 'Highest Single-Day of COVID-19 Deaths' That Wasn't

https://reason.com/2020/08/17/the-highest-single-day-of-covid-19-deaths-that-wasnt/

I make my living off the evening news
Just give me something-something I can use
People love it when you lose,
They love dirty laundry

Well, I coulda been an actor, but I wound up here
I just have to look good, I don't have to be clear
Come and whisper in my ear
Give us dirty laundry

Kick 'em when they're up
Kick 'em when they're down
Kick 'em when they're up
Kick 'em when they're down
Kick 'em when they're up
Kick 'em when they're down
Kick 'em when they're up
Kick 'em all around

We got the bubble-headed-bleach-blond
Who comes on at five
She can tell you 'bout the plane crash with a gleam in her eye
It's interesting when people die
Give us dirty laundry

Can we film the operation?
Is the head dead yet?
You know, the boys in the newsroom got a running bet
Get the…

At least your taste in music is good.

[Muda69]

https://techcrunch.com/2020/08/19/coronavirus-albion-security-flaws-app/

Quote

Schools and universities across the United States are split on whether to open for the fall semester, thanks to the ongoing pandemic.

Albion College,  a small liberal arts school in Michigan, said in June it would allow its nearly 1,500 students to return to campus for the new academic year starting in August. Lectures would be limited in size and the semester would finish by Thanksgiving rather than December. The school said it would test both staff and students upon their arrival to campus and throughout the academic year.

But less than two weeks before students began arriving on campus, the school announced it would require them to download and install a contact-tracing app called Aura, which it says will help it tackle any coronavirus outbreak on campus.

There’s a catch. The app is designed to track students’ real-time locations around the clock, and there is no way to opt out.

The Aura  app lets the school know when a student tests positive for COVID-19. It also comes with a contact-tracing feature that alerts students when they have come into close proximity with a person who tested positive for the virus. But the feature requires constant access to the student’s real-time location, which the college says is necessary to track the spread of any exposure.

The school’s mandatory use of the app sparked privacy concerns and prompted parents to launch a petition to make using the app optional.

Worse, the app had at least two security vulnerabilities only discovered after the app was rolled out. One of the vulnerabilities allowed access to the app’s back-end servers. The other allowed us to infer a student’s COVID-19 test results.

The vulnerabilities were fixed. But students are still expected to use the app or face suspension.

....

In addition to having to install the app, students were told they are not allowed to leave campus for the duration of the semester without permission over fears that contact with the wider community might bring the virus back to campus.

If a student leaves campus without permission, the app will alert the school, and the student’s ID card will be locked and access to campus buildings will be revoked, according to an email to students, seen by TechCrunch.

Students are not allowed to turn off their location and can be suspended and “removed from campus” if they violate the policy, the email read.

....

 

[swordfish]

[Muda69]

No Shirt, No Service

https://reason.com/2020/08/25/brickbat-no-shirt-no-service/

Quote

Officials with California's East Side Union High School District have placed a teacher on leave after he was seen teaching a virtual math class while not wearing a shirt, a violation of a school dress code he'd reminded students about just days earlier. Elizabeth Avila said her daughter, a freshman at Silver Creek High School in San Jose, "started feeling uncomfortable. She couldn't concentrate on the topic because all she was seeing was this old man on camera in her bedroom." Superintendent Chris Funk would not release the man's name. "I will say that the behavior is unacceptable, unprofessional and violates several district policies," Funk said.

 

[Howe]

[Muda69]

44 minutes ago, Howe said:

Bingo.  But as long as the aging Baby Boomers are in control of American politics and culture they will protect their best interests at any cost.
 

[Muda69]

How Unscientific Covid Policies Are Harming Birthing Mothers and Their Newborns

https://mises.org/wire/how-unscientific-covid-policies-are-harming-birthing-mothers-and-their-newborns

Quote

The unfortunate backlash of government and institutional policies regarding covid-19 have affected countless individuals in the United States since the pandemic began. Suicide, drug abuse, and prescriptions of depression medication are on the rise, hinting at the turmoil many Americans are facing. With the focus on preventing the spread of coronavirus, which has a mortality rate similar to that seen in a severe flu season, birthing mothers and their newborns are another group facing unintended consequences from ill-advised policies established by government administrators and hospital bureaucracies.

Birthing in the US

Even before covid, the United States suffered from one of the highest mother mortality rates among first-world nations, where more than five times the number of mothers pass away due to birth and pregnancy complications than in Italy and Denmark. Compared to the United Kingdom, approximately two and a half more moms die, according to statistics from 2015.1

The mortality rate is unfortunately growing; 13.3 deaths per 100,000 live births occurred in 2008, only to then increase to 17.4 per 100,000 births in 2018.2 A point of interest is that certain groups, namely black mothers, face a mortality rate close to four times that of their white counterparts, with the difference becoming more distinct over time.3 Recently the New York City public was reminded of this reality when Black Lives Matter protesters stood outside the Bedford-Stuyvesant Hospital, where hopeful new mother Sha-Asia Washington controversially passed away at the young age of twenty-six.4

Understanding the reasons for the disparity in birth outcomes among women residing in the US compared to those in Europe is difficult given the problems with statistical reporting. However, one notable phenomenon is that typically, one in three women give birth via cesarean compared to the WHO-recommended rate of 10–15 percent.5 While c-sections may be necessary medical interventions in many instances, the procedure tends to be associated with other risks, including surgical error, trauma to a woman’s organs, increased risk of hemorrhaging and infection, and permanent injury or death.6

New mothers, whether giving birth vaginally or through cesarean, may also face traumatic birth experiences resulting from modern medical care or negligent health practitioners. This may cause mothers to experience difficulty in bonding with their babies and can sometimes cause postpartum depression or anxiety. While recovery from birth is never easy, the birth experience itself may have long-lasting effects on both mother and baby, even if physically they are both “okay.”

Hospital Procedures during Covid

Given the reality of the prospective birth outcomes that mothers face, informed consent and a support team are crucial. Sadly, the response to coronavirus by hospitals in the pursuit of increasing safety measures may not be made with the mother in mind.

Across the country, mothers are restricted from having visitors attend the birth or may be limited to only one individual.7 Similarly, OBGYN offices tend to restrict regular maternal visits to the patient only. Given the fact that the birth partner probably lives with the patient, there is generally no increased risk from including the additional individual (who tends to be a patient’s parent or the child’s father). This restriction also tends to limit birth and well-visit attendance by a mother’s paid birth representative, her doula. Doulas are part of a mother's support system, with the purpose of ensuring a positive pregnancy and birth experience while also helping a mother avoid unnecessary medical interventions.

These changes have had extremely personal impacts on mothers. Stories have surfaced on social media about mothers being informed of imminent miscarriage during pregnancy visits, where they received the news alone. Others have had traumatic births due to not having their full birth team or doula, leading to potentially unnecessary cesareans, which can be both physically and emotionally difficult to recover from.

Further, many hospitals have required mothers to wear masks while in labor, which restricts oxygen during a physically taxing activity which often lasts for many hours. This stipulation is problematic given the care that birthing mothers who are in pain or have faced previous abuse need, as face masks during such an ordeal can cause trauma. Similarly, other hospitals may require mothers to birth on their backs as an attempt to reduce virus exposure, but may instead increase pain and birth complications for mothers (and increase the likelihood of cesarean).

The sad reality is that most of these procedures are unnecessary given that many hospitals already screen incoming patients and that OBGYN offices often ask mothers to be tested for coronavirus prior to their expected due date. For mothers who do test positive a suggested ritual has been to separate them from their babies postdelivery. This practice may have long-term emotional and psychological effects on patients, without any substantial benefits. For mothers who desire to breastfeed, separation from their infants may decrease their ability to breastfeed successfully, a practice that is important if covid is considered a problem.8

Stop Hurting Mothers and Babies

During a pandemic, hospitals' responses are crucial to ensuring greater quality of life during such a time as a new life entering the world. Where unscientific practices hold, the long-term personal effects will last after covid-19 becomes a memory. The trauma may be psychological, physical, or emotional when joy and peace should be the primary goal. Where applicable, the citizenry should demand that hospitals and their legislators change these practices, especially if they believe mothers' lives matter, black lives matter, and infants' lives matter.

For moms in the pandemic, you have patient rights, such as not being separated from your baby, not having to wear a mask while laboring, nor being forced into a back-lying position if it's not your desire. Mothers have the right to informed consent for any medication or intervention being administered. Whichever preferences you hold to pursue the best birth experience possible, include them in your birth plan and choose a birth partner who will provide support. If applicable, you may generally change your OBGYN or hospital/birth center of delivery prior to giving birth. Some low-risk mothers have even opted for nurse midwife–assisted home births during the pandemic. Lastly, know that you are important and so incredibly strong.

 

[DanteEstonia]

40 minutes ago, Muda69 said:

Even before covid, the United States suffered from one of the highest mother mortality rates among first-world nations, where more than five times the number of mothers pass away due to birth and pregnancy complications than in Italy and Denmark. Compared to the United Kingdom, approximately two and a half more moms die, according to statistics from 2015.1

I can't help but notice that Italy, Denmark, and the UK have state-provided health care. 

[Muda69]

1 minute ago, DanteEstonia said:

I can't help but notice that Italy, Denmark, and the UK have state-provided health care. 

And what does that have to do with the inane covid-19 policies regarding childbirth?    

Your batting .000 today Dante when it comes to actually addressing the points.  Right about your average.........................

 

Edited August 25, 2020 by Muda69

[DanteEstonia]

2 minutes ago, Muda69 said:

And what does that have to do with the inane covid-19 policies regarding childbirth?    

They are the one providing the point, not me. 

[Muda69]

1 hour ago, DanteEstonia said:

They are the one providing the point, not me. 

Hmm.  So you are saying that if the USA had a true state-provided health care then the following wouldn't happen regarding covid-19 and childbirth:

Quote

- mothers are restricted from having visitors attend the birth or may be limited to only one individual.7 Similarly, OBGYN offices tend to restrict regular maternal visits to the patient only. 

- Stories have surfaced on social media about mothers being informed of imminent miscarriage during pregnancy visits, where they received the news alone.

- many hospitals have required mothers to wear masks while in labor, which restricts oxygen during a physically taxing activity which often lasts for many hours. 

-For mothers who do test positive a suggested ritual has been to separate them from their babies postdelivery

 

[DanteEstonia]

2 hours ago, Muda69 said:

Hmm.  So you are saying that if the USA had a true state-provided health care then the following wouldn't happen regarding covid-19 and childbirth:

The infant mortality rate was there long before COVID-19.

[swordfish]

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/covid-data/covidview/index.html

Key Points

• Nationally, the percentage of specimens testing positive for SARS-CoV-2 and the percentages of visits for ILI and CLI have continued to decrease since mid-July.
• Using combined data from the three laboratory types, the national percentage of respiratory specimens testing positive for SARS-CoV-2 with a molecular assay decreased from 6.9% during week 32 to 6.3% during week 33.
  • Regionally, the percentage of respiratory specimens testing positive for SARS-CoV-2 also declined or remained the same in nine of ten HHS regions. In Region 7 (Central), the percentage of respiratory specimens testing positive for SARS-CoV-2 has been increasing for 10 weeks.
  • The highest percentages of specimens testing positive for SARS-CoV-2 were seen in Regions 4 (South East, 10.3%), 6 (South Central, 11.7%), and 7 (Central, 9.2%). The percentage is decreasing in Regions 4 (South East) and 6 (South Central) and increasing in Region 7 (Central).
• The percentage of outpatient and ED visits for ILI are below baseline nationally and in all regions of the country; however, ILI activity is above what is typical for this time of year. The percentage of visits to EDs for CLI decreased nationally for the fifth consecutive week and, compared to the previous week, decreased in all ten HHS regions.
  • Systems monitoring ILI and CLI may be influenced by recent changes in health care seeking behavior, including increasing use of telemedicine, recommendations to limit emergency department (ED) visits to severe illnesses, and increased social distancing.
• The overall cumulative COVID-19-associated hospitalization rate was 151.7 per 100,000; rates were highest in people 65 years of age and older (412.9 per 100,000) followed by people 50-64 years (228.1 per 100,000).
  • Weekly hospitalization rates among all ages first peaked during the week ending April 18 (MMWR week 16) at 10.1 per 100,000 population, followed by a second peak during the week ending July 18 (MMWR week 29) at 8.0 per 100,000 population. Data for the most recent weeks may change as additional admissions occurring during those weeks are reported.
  • Non-Hispanic American Indian or Alaska Native persons had an age-adjusted hospitalization rate approximately 4.9 times that of non-Hispanic White persons. Rates among non-Hispanic Black persons and Hispanic or Latino persons were both approximately 4.7 times the rate among non-Hispanic White persons.
• Based on death certificate data, the percentage of deaths attributed to pneumonia, influenza or COVID-19 (PIC) increased from week 26 – week 30 (weeks ending June 27 – July 25) after declining for 11 weeks since mid-April. The percentage of deaths due to PIC for week 33 is 7.8%, lower than the percentage during week 32 (12.6%), but above the epidemic threshold. These percentages will likely increase as more death certificates are processed.
• All surveillance systems aim to provide the most complete data available. Estimates from previous weeks are subject to change as data are updated with the most complete data available.

 

 

 

 

 

[Muda69]

16 hours ago, DanteEstonia said:

The infant mortality rate was there long before COVID-19.